Elegance: The Birth of the Modern Jazz Quartet
(Savoy)

MJQ is sort of legendary in jazz, but I’ve often found them bland in comparison to early sessions like those represented on this new Savoy compilation. The personnel is more or less the same, just the MJQ name and ‘sound’ had yet to be established. The performances here are lively, engaging, and highly enjoyable – more in the bebop style than what MJQ would later be known for. It’s a great companion to the self-titled Milt Jackson disc on Blue Note that covers more of the same ground. - Michael Fortes